On the 15th of July, we will commemorate the first anniversary of the foiled coup attempt and pay our respect to 250 people who lost their lives in the fight against the coup attempt on that bloody night.

In view of the heroic resistance of the Turkish people to Fetullah Terrorist Organization, the 15th of July has been declared by the government as “Democracy and National Unity Day” in the country.

FETO, aiming to overthrow the democratically elected government, together with the President and the constitutional order in Turkey on this date, by mobilizing its accomplices who infiltrated the military, as well as their terrorist disciples in the civilian bureaucracy, killed and wounded civilian people, bombed many buildings including the Presidential Compound and the Turkish Grand National Assembly, TV stations and other Government buildings including Ankara Police headquarters.

They attempted to assassinate the President and the Prime Minister.

Attacks on all facets of democratic institutions took place nearly simultaneously.

On the night of 15 July 2016, all political parties, the members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) and civil society unions, non-governmental organizations and the media stood firmly by the values of democracy, democratic institutions and the constitution.

A joint declaration in defense of democracy was issued during the extraordinary meeting of the general assembly of the TGNA on the 16th of July, 2016.

The call of the Turkish President to keep democracy vigil found a strong support within the Turkish people and was very decisive in foiling the coup attempt. In this turmoil, 250 citizens lost their lives and more than 2000 were wounded.

At the end, Democracy was saved by ordinary citizens who had gathered to oppose the coup.

Even on the night of 15th July, it was obvious that Fetullah Gulen and his disciples were behind this treacherous and bloody coup attempt. His desire to take control of the Turkish State and to establish a regime based on his perverted religious ethos was not a secret in Turkey. For more than 30 years Fetullah Gulen has encouraged his followers to infiltrate the military and judiciary in Turkey.

During the operations held within the scope of the investigations initiated, following the ominous attempted coup, most of the suspects and culprits were rounded up by the Turkish Security Forces and brought before the Independent Turkish Courts.

Now after a year of extensive administrative, criminal and judicial investigations, we have even a better grasp of what happened on July 15 and the perpetrator that was behind it. Currently there are 78 ongoing court cases in 23 different provinces related to the perpetrators.

There are testimonies from thousands of officers confessing their affiliation with FETO. Video recordings and communications between the putschists was also captured.

In light of the grave menace and security risks, the Turkish Government rightfully takes necessary and proportionate measures to suppress and eventually defeat this imminent threat.

The state of emergency, which was declared immediately after the foiled terrorist coup attempt and extended until mid-July 2017 in full conformity with our national legislation and international obligations, was necessary to make the state organs act swiftly and effectively. It is not intended to intervene with the daily lives of the Turkish citizens. The fight against FETO is based on three principles: rule of law, morality and democracy.

The Turkish people and the government, having paid a dear price for the sublime values of democracy, now legitimately expect the cooperation of the international community and our allies with regard to the extradition of the FETO criminals.

Seizing this opportunity, I would like to thank once more to the Esteemed President of Turkmenistan H.E Gurbangulu Berdimuhammedov, and the Turkmen Government for the solidarity shown and support extended to the Turkish government and Turkish people from the first hours of the attempted coup.

I would also like to underline the fact that Turkmenistan was one of the first countries to close down the FETO Schools in 2010. /// nCa